Vinyl Gutters

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Posted by Matt Talbert on 8/24/2013

…..or more to the point why you shouldn’t purchase vinyl gutters. You know ’em when you see ’em…bulky unappealing profile, typically sagging off the house, and they only come in one color, white. Lets compare them to seamless aluminum gutters and go through the pros and cons of each.

Vinyl Gutters

Cons
– They’re made out of vinyl which will decompose, crack, and split in the Texas sun usually in about 2 years
– There are numerous seams. Each downspout outlet creates 2 seams, every 10 ft there is a seam requiring a connection piece, every corner creates 2 seams
– I checked the manufacturer’s website and could find no warranty information
– You have to install them yourself
– They only come in one color, which would look great if you have a white house. If you have a different colored house you are forced into a two tone color scheme

Pros
– They cost less than seamless aluminum gutters (the savings are negligible, I’ll go into detail later)

Seamless Aluminum Gutters

Cons
– They cost more than vinyl gutters
Pros
– They’re made from aluminum which resists corrosion
– The only seams are found at the corners and the endcaps which are then sealed with a rubberized polymer sealant that expands and contracts with the temperature changes
– There is a 5 year warranty on labor and a 20 year manufacturer’s warranty on the material
– You sit in the comfort of your home while a crew of professionals installs them properly
– There are over 30 color choices

And now for the smoking gun, the dollar amount which is the only one advantage of choosing vinyl gutters over aluminum. I based the pricing on an average size one story home which equates to around 200 linear feet of gutter and 7 downspouts.

Keep in mind that although you will save $163.65 you will probably spend at least 2 days installing said gutters. (probably longer as it takes a professionally trained crew of 2 about 5-6 hours to install the same amount of aluminum gutters).
In closing one must keep in mind that while the diy mentality can be a good thing and provide you with good results while saving you money gutters simply isn’t one of them. Find a contractor that you trust and get it done right. Protecting your home investment is worth the extra $163.65. Best of luck and have a blessed day! Matt